Series Preview: East Division Champion Black Bears Battle with Rebels
NAHL Maryland Black Bears

Series Preview: East Division Champion Black Bears Battle with Rebels

Published on March 18, 2026 under North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Maryland Black Bears News Release


The conclusion of the NAHL regular season is just around the corner, and the Maryland Black Bears already know their fate. They've clinched the regular season East Division Title for the third time in franchise history, meaning they have clinched a bye to the East Division Semi-Final. Despite a league-best 44-5-4 record and 92 points, they know their work is far from over. This weekend, they prepare for another home-and-home series with the Philadelphia Rebels, who sit at tenth in the East Division with a 19-25-8 record and 46 points.

After sweeping the Johnstown Tomahawks, the Maryland Black Bears took down the New Jersey Titans in a midweek affair on St. Patrick's Day in Middletown, New Jersey, to extend their win streak to 12 games. The Black Bears came out ready to play, with forwards Ryan Franks, Tanner Duncan, and Owen Drury scoring in the first period for a 3-0 lead. The Titans would battle back in the second period, scoring twice to make it 3-2. Franks was able to tally his second goal of the game later in the second period to make it 4-2. Despite an early third period goal from New Jersey, Drury iced the game with an empty net goal for a 5-3 win. Dom Gatto made 26 saves in the win.

The Rebels sit nine points back of the sixth and final playoff spot in the East Division. Despite having two games in hand on the sixth-seeded Danbury Hat Tricks, Philadelphia needs to start compiling wins if they hope to salvage its season. Their 3-7-0 record in their last ten games has not helped their cause. This past weekend, Philadelphia split a series against the Elmira Aviators. In game one, Philadelphia held a 2-0 lead in the second period thanks to goals from forwards Ryan Bunting and Thomas Klochkov. However, the lead would not last, and Elmira would tie the game by scoring one in the second period and one in the third period to force overtime and eventually, the shootout. There, goaltender Ilja Nikitins stopped both shots he saw, while Bunting and Klochkov scored on their attempts to secure the Rebels a 3-2 win. Nikitins made 38 saves in the win. Night two would see Nikitins turn in an impressive 35 save performance. Despite this, Philadelphia failed to score and lost to the Aviators 2-0.

Maryland and Philadelphia have played each other four times this season, with the Black Bears winning all four games by a combined score of 15-6. The last game these two teams played was on Saturday, March 7th, where Drury recorded a hat trick in a 6-3 Maryland win.

Players to Watch:

Owen Drury (F, MYD): The Black Bears' captain is heating up at the right time, recording seven goals and nine points in his last seven games. Six of those goals and seven of those points have come in his last four games, which include three multi-point performances. Drury has been getting it done no matter what the circumstance is. Of his seven goals, three have come on the power play, two have come at even strength, and two have come shorthanded.

Thomas Klochkov (F, PHI): Klochkov has put on an impressive performance since coming to Philadelphia from the Northeast Generals, recording nine points in 12 games as a Rebel. He has 15 points in 22 games between the two franchises overall this season. Last weekend saw Klochkov put on a stellar performance, scoring in both regulation and the shootout to help secure a 3-2 win over Elmira.

Game one of this home-and-home takes place at Hollydell Ice Arena on Friday, March 20th, at 7:30 p.m. ET. Game two will shift to Odenton, Maryland, at Piney Orchard Ice Arena on Saturday, March 21st, with puck drop scheduled for 6:30 p.m. ET. All games can be streamed on NATV.

Check out the Maryland Black Bears Statistics

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North American Hockey League Stories from March 18, 2026


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